Shoe fastening machines with cover strip guides



April 14, 1959 L. s` cURTlN 2,881,723

sHoE FASTENING MACHINES WITH covER STRIP GUIDES Filed oct. 25, 1955 United States Patent SHOE FAS'I'ENING MACHINES WITH COVER STRIP GUIDES Leonard S. Curtin, Arlington, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 25, 1955, Serial No. 542,713

2 Claims. (Cl. 11252) The present invention relates to improvements in machines for manufacturing shoes of the stitchdown type in which a platform cover strip is united to the outturned margin of a shoe upper and to `an extension sole or like member, the platform cover strip thereafter being turned downwardly about the edges of the upper and inwardly to cover the edge of the extension sole.

It is common practice to attach a cover strip to the projecting marginal portions of a stitchdown shoe'and to wrap the cover strip about the edges of the parts, irnparting a finished ornamental appearance to the edges and providing a connection between them and an outsole cemented or otherwise attached to the inturned marginal portions of the cover strip. In so doing, the usual practice is to provide a fastening machine in the form of an outsole stitcher having a work support constructed with a block shoulder along which one edge of the cover strip is `directed and a guide formed integrally with the work support and arranged with a right-angle strip confining slot to bring the cover strip into proper shape as it approaches the sewing point of the machine. The cover strip guide usually has closed ends, at the lowest one of which there may be adjustable means for accommodating cover strips of different widths. In many instances with the use of such guide it is difficult, if not impossible, to prevent the cover strip from losing contact with the shoulder of the work support, from being deformed before reaching the sewing point, or from being subject to excessive frictional binding resistance in its movement toward the sewing point. Any of these factors may cause the strip to be improperly attached to the shoe.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, readily adjustable guide on a shoe outsole stitching machine for use in the manufacture of platform shoes, in which uniform engagement of a cover strip edge is always maintained with a block shoulder on the Work support of the machine, and in which the other essential requirements for satisfactory operation are complied with.

Consistent with the objects recited, an outsole stitcher or other similar shoe part uniting machine is provided with a platform cover strip guide separate from a work support in the machine, the guide being mounted to engage the cover strip before it reaches the work support, in which an edge guide finger is carried by the strip guide and is formed with an offset extending in a -direction lengthwise of a strip in the guide toward the work support to press the uppermost edge of the cover strip uniformly against the block shoulder by engaging the lowermost edge of the cover strip at one side of the guide directly opposite to a block shoulder on the work support. Preferably, the offset in the edge guide finger is of Z shape and is so disposed that it supports the lowermost edge of the cover strip to hold it against disengagement from a cover strip directing abutment in the strip guide proper, .as well as against the block shoulder of the work support while leaving the area directly beneath the work support free for positioning movements of the shoe. With the use of the guide finger the stn'p guide preforms the cover strip and directs it loosely toward the sewing point in the machine while the guide linger insures accurate presentation of the strip to the sewing point. In this way the strip may be closely confined at the sewing point only where it moves into contact with a shoe being sewn. Thus, no objectionable deformation or frictional binding need occur anywhere along the strip.

These and other features of the invention, as hereinafter described and claimed, will readily be apparent from the following detail specification and drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in front elevation .and partly broken away of the head of a shoe outsole stitching machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail View in front elevation and on an enlarged scale, illustrating the cover strip guide and edge engaging finger of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is -a detail view in right side elevation of the guide and linger, showing its mounting shank; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a shoe, illustrating its position while being presented to the work support of the machine.

The illustrated machine is intended for operation on a stitchdown type of shoe, such as disclosed in an application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 500,347, filed April ll, 1955, (now granted as Patent No. 2,776,501, dated January 8, 1957), in the name of the present inventor. Briey, this shoe comprises an upper 6; united to an insole 8 and a first extension sole 10. The upper and extension sole are secured together by a seam 12 of thread lasting stitches passing through the sole 10 and the outturned marginal ange of the shoe upper which projects beyond its bulging surface supported by a last 16. A second extension sole 14 is then temporarily attached to the rst extension sole 10. The machine is particularly intended for sewing to the parts referred to, an edge or platform cover strip 18 of uniform width, with a lockstitch seam 20, which seam also unites the other parts into a secure integral construction. After the lockstitch seam 20 has been inserted the cover strip 18 is wrapped about the edges of the upper and sole members and turned inwardly to form a complete ornamental binding for the edges. Thereafter, an outsole (not shown) is cemented or otherwise attached to the thread surface of the shoe, as more fully disclosed in the patent application identied.

The illustrated machine is similar to that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,169,909, granted February l, 1916, upon application of Fred Ashworth,

and No. 2,271,611, granted February 3, 1942, in the along. the junction line. ot: crease between the outturned marginal flange of the upper and the bulging surface of its body portion, the recesses 32 and 34 are left open along their front portions, the needle and awl passing as close as possible to the vertical iiesh surface of the cover strip 18, which is bent at an angle of 90 about the work support without actually striking the vertical surface.

In prior machinesA of: the type' employed for uniting thev marginal portions of a shoe upper, an insoie and a platform cover strip, it has been the practice to provide a strip enclosing guide integrally attached to the work support and located as close as possible to the sewing point'. Such guide generallyY has a conventional. rightangle slot terminating at its upper end' by an edge engaging abutment merging witha block gage projecting from the work' engaging surface on the work support. With such prior construction, a cover strip is inserted within the slot and an adjustable edge gage provided at its lower end serves to hold the cover strip in a condition as closely confined as possible, consistent with essen-tial spacings required for clearing moving parts in the machine and the bulging last-supported surface of a shoe as it.' is being presented to the machine. If the cover strip guide is located too close to the sewing point its bulk prevents proper presentation of the shoe to the machine, the line of the lock stitch seam 20 beingl unavoidably forced away from the junction or crease line formed between the bulging and outiianged shoe parts. Also, where the strip guide is located too close to the sewing point, the action of the stitch-forming and feeding devices in the machine, particularly around the concavely curved portions of a shoe, tend strongly to displace the cover strip from within its guide. If too great a coniinement is exerted on the guide, the friction of the strip against the guide abutment causes it to stretch or imparts excessive frictional resistance to it and produces still further aggravated conditions which are reflected in improperly constructed shoes. To avoid locating the cover strip guide too close to the sewing point in the machine of the present invention, it is mounted separately from the work support a suicient distance to avoid interference with a shoe and is arranged to impart' a preliminary shape to the strip before it reaches the work support, in such a way that the upper edge of the strip will be given a preliminary flanged formation for effective guiding engagement with a block gage on the Work support.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, the improved cover strip confining preliminary guide illustrated has no lower edge engaging member within the contines of its guiding slot, but is provided with an adjustable offset edge guide finger 36 extending from the guide toward the Work support at the left of the guiding slot, as viewed from the front of the machine, to a position lengthwise of the strip projecting from the guide directly beneath and opposite to the shoulder on the work support. As shown in Fig. 3, the improved strip guide consists of a reversely bent relatively thin sheet metal strap 38, the upper reversed end of which forms an support, andv at its lower end, has, a., thinI perforated shank disposed between the downwardly extending arms of the guide strap 38. To secure the edge guide finger 36 adjustably on the guide strap 38 and to accommodate cover strips of different widths, the downwardly extending arms of the strap 38 are provided with slots, one of which is shown at 48. A clamp bolt Sil passing through the slots 48 and the perforation in the shank of the edge guide finger draws the parts firmly together after suitable adjustment in position of the guide finger has been made. The arrangement is such that when a cover strip is inserted. within. the slot of the guide it is given a preliminary right angle shape and is directed across the sewing point of the machine by engagement with the block gage formed by a shoulder 52 on the work-engaging surface of the work support, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Looking from the front of the machine the guide strap 38 is inclined somewhat from the vertical to the left and downwardly to enable its upper end to be lowered beneath the level of the work supporting surface of the work support and to prevent interference with the positioning movements of theV shoe while directingi a. cover strip upwardly to the sewing point in the machine. The guide finger serves to press the uppermost edge of the cover strip positively and uniformly against the block gage shoulder 52 and because of the inclination of the guide and the cover strip running through it, the linger also holds the uppermost edge of the strip in engagement with the abutment 39 in the guide. Thus, a single. lower strip edge guide finger serves two purposes by reason of' its offset arrangement and its location, while leaving the area directly beneath the work support clear abutment 39, along with the upper edge of the cover strip is directed. The upper end of the strip guide is bent through substantially more than with respect to its lower downwardly extending parallel arms. To mount the guide on the machine the reversely bent portion is integrally attached to the upper end of a block 40 having a downwardly extending slotted shank through which passes a pair of clamp screws 42 threaded into an upstanding arm 44, normally provided in the machine of the prior patents for supporting an edge gage.

The edge guide finger 36 is generally of Z-shape formed at its upper end with an open grooved recess i6 to engage and support the lowermost edge of the cover strip directly opposite to the block shoulder on the work for positioning movements of the shoe.

To guardithe strip as it approaches the sewing point and to prevent displacement by reason of the clamping engagement exerted upon the shoe parts by the presser foot, the work support is formed in advance of the recess 34 with an apron 54 projecting from the shoulder 52 at the right side o-f the sewing point. At the sewing point and at its left side the apron is cut away to admit passage of the needle and awl.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and an embodiment having been described, what is claimed is:

l. A machine for uniting the marginal portions of a shoe upper, an extension sole and a platform cover strip while supported on a last, said machine having fastening devices, a work support provided with a workengaging surface and a gage shoulder against which one edge of the cover strip is pressed, a presser foot acting to clamp the work against the work support, anda cover strip confining preliminary guide separate from the work support and mounted to engage the strip before reaching the work support, in combination with an edge guide finger on the strip guide formed with a portion having an open grooved recess extending from the guide, within which recessed portion the other edge of the cover strip is supported and an offset to bring the recess to a position in a direction lengthwise of a strip in the guide directly opposite the shoulder of the work support.

2. A machine for fastening together the marginal portions of a shoe upper, an insole and a platform cover strip while supported on a last, said machine having stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle, a work support provided with a work supporting surface, a gage shoulder along which one edge of the cover strip is directed and an apron overlying the work supporting surface of the work support to protect the cover strip from engagement with the other shoe parts, a presser foot acting to clamp the work against the work support and a guide formed of a reversely bent relatively thing strap between the arms of which the cover strip is directed, said guide being provided with an abutment separate from the work support for the same edge of the strip which is pressed against the shoulder on the Work support and being mounted to engage the strip before it reaches the work support, in combination with an oiset edge guide linger of Z shape having one end mounted on the strip guide and provided at its other end with an open grooved recess to engage the other edge of the cover strip directly opposite the shoulder on the Work support and to hold the strip rmly in engagement with both the shoulder and the abutment while leaving the area directly beneath the work support free for positioning movements of the shoe.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Goddu Aug. 18, Fleigel May 24, Whitaker Nov. 16, Stritter Oct. 10, Roberts June 2, Slinkard Feb. 23,

Goreham Oct. 26, 

